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    REVIEW: His Fatal Love by Leighton Greene

    West Coast Mobsters: His Fatal Love – Leighton Greene

    Easily bored, completely manipulative, and utterly deadly…and that’s just in bed.

    As an assassin for the Castellani Family, I live for the thrill of the job.
    I’m devoted to my Family and my Don, because they keep me safe.

    To Leo Bernardi, I’m a monster.
    A killing machine.
    And a puppet that his Family can use for their own ends.

    To me, Leo is just a pawn in a game that I’m playing.
    A means to an end.
    And if I have a little fun with him along the way, who cares?

    Leo thinks he can seduce me. Tame me. Use me.
    In this game of cat and mouse, the Bernardi Lion is about to get a big surprise.

    But the more entangled we become, the more I start to feel…

    Things I didn’t think I was capable of feeling.

    Things I’ve never wanted to feel.

    In my line of work, love is a fatal flaw. But the more time we spend together, the harder I fall.

    Leo Bernardi is my greatest enemy…
    Could he also be my greatest love?

    **

    Dive into a forbidden romance between a psychopath assassin and a Mob Enforcer. Get ready for seductions and betrayals, scorching love scenes, and an unforgettable romance as a cold case comes back to haunt two Families sworn to destroy each other.


    If you have read the Morelli Family series, Julian Castellani most likely made himself memorable with his specially made intimate jewelry, attempting to seduce a well-placed Morelli. Unlike Alessandro, who prefers a low-key profile, this Castellani brother embraces the limelight and his notoriety.

    His Fatal Love is Julian investigating the murder of his beloved mother he witnessed when he was five years old. A lil mystery that I didn’t realize until the big twist was revealed was why Julian was questioning the identity of the killer despite seeing the crime happening right before his eyes.

    Julian has been called many names, psychopath being one. To which he is quick to reply, “undiagnosed“. An expert assassin on par with Jack, Julian is practically a ninja the way he can go in and out any tightly guarded place. He either feels nothing or feels too much, no in-betweens.

    Two complicated relationships are with Alessandro and Jack.

    Alessandro and Julian have always been antagonistic. There were even moments I felt Julian was going to kill his brother. Book 2, His Brutal Heart, put that to rest, and happily, Alessandro and Julian have somehow come to a truce, and along with Jack coming back to the fold, it makes for a stronger Castellani Family.

    I think Julian has a teeny-tiny bit of brother complex. Alessandro has a thing for blonds, and light-haired Julian always tries to provoke his brother by mentioning this in his on-going game of notice me, onii-chan.

    Also, the way he describes Alessandro by smell that was somewhat too intimate for brothers, even half-brothers. Turns out, he catalogues everyone’s smell. There’s a reason for this and I loved the stealthy way the story connected it to everything that’s happening.

    Trust is one of the major themes, and Julian is known to be spectacularly untrustworthy. Jack, the top Castellani assassin from His Lethal Desire, wouldn’t let his boyfriend, Miller, anywhere near the younger Castellani.

    When Jack tried to explain what trust is and why he doesn’t trust him, Julian struggled to understand the concept. This psychopath assassin is somebody who will kiss you passionately then, quick as a snap, give you a Sparta kick down an oubliette. 

    As Leo Bernardi discovered.

    Leo is the second son of Don Bernardi and works as the Enforcer. He struggling to gain his father’s respect, which was doubly hard since his father is homophobic. The connection between the Bernardi Lion and Julian is a convoluted scheme cooked up by the don that makes use of the fact that Leo is gay and has to seduce the younger Castellani to the Bernardi side.

    The plot was a thrilling game of seduction, secret identities, double agents, hard bargains and rough sex. It was gripping and twisty turn-y, weaving Julian’s investigation and mafia politics with his character development, relationship with Alessandro, growing feelings between him and Leo, and a surprising secret vulnerability that explains many quirks.

    Leo might be less flashier than Julian, but the Bernardi Lion has a dominant presence, similar ruthlessness, and indomitable will to finish a mission. Used to being the brawn, he’s a lot smarter than he gives himself credit for.

    Leo is loyal to a fault but has no qualms withdrawing that loyalty when a person is no longer worthy of such gift. So when his loyalties shifted to Julian who earned it the hard way, it stayed with him for good.

    I couldn’t imagine before who Leighton Greene would pair Julian with. But now that I’ve meet him, Leo Bernardi is the perfect match. He softens Julian’s rougher edges without stifling the feral wildness that makes Julian who he is.

    We may have come from different worlds, but we fit together perfectly. We have our own secret language—a language of revenge, of love, of passion and violence.

    My favorite parts were the scenes where Julian was confused why his chest feels tight or almost painful. He was so endearingly bewildered, not realizing he was feeling emotions he never felt before. Feelings like concern, fear, happiness, and love. All because of Leo.

    His Fatal Love is a fascinating tale of vendetta, blood ties and Family vows. It is one man’s heart-opening journey and a second son coming into his own. All in all, intensely feral, wildly passionate and fatally emotional!

    Rating:
    4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away

    Soundtrack: Love and War
    Artist: Fleurie
    Album: Love and War

    P.S.

    West Coast Mobsters should be read in order. They’re delicious mafia romances with a fairy tale flavor.

    Witness a Cinderfella hitman style in His Lethal Desire and a darker take on Beauty and the Beast in His Brutal Heart.


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    REVIEW: Peacemaker by Morgan Brice

    Sharps and Springfield: Peacemaker – Morgan Brice

    Secret agents, forbidden love, danger, and magic!

    Supernatural Secret Service agents Owen Sharps and Calvin Springfield meet on the train to their new assignment in St. Louis, and sparks fly between them. But it’s 1897, and they need to be very careful—falling in love can be dangerous for men like them.

    It’s their first case together, investigating mysterious disappearances—including the two agents who preceded them. Grim evidence leads them to look for a darker purpose. Old ghosts haunt the railroad line, zombie rise, signs point to ritual sacrifice, and they suspect someone is trying to open the gates of hell.

    Can Calvin and Owen stop the mayhem, thwart the vampires, and find true love, or will everything go up in smoke?

    Peacemaker is a high-stakes steampunk MM romance thrill ride filled with found family, paranormal Pinkertons, intrepid reporters, mysterious disappearances, nefarious land brokers, hellhounds, zombies, vengeful spirits, dark spells, absinthe magic, a ruthless vampire railroad baron and a love that won’t be denied.

    Before Colt and Winchester, there was Sharps & Springfield!

    Peacemaker is the first book in the new Sharps & Springfield series


    Finally, gay Pinkertons!

    I learned about Pinkertons from Whyborne & Griffin, the latter being a former Pinkerton detective. I haven’t encountered many MM stories about these detectives, so I was super excited for Morgan Brice‘s latest steampunk series, Sharps and Springfield.

    Peacemaker is Book 1, and while there are no cosmic apocalyptic threats here, there are plenty of things that go bump in the night. The story opens with SSS Agent Owen Sharps’s anonymous meeting with his soon-to-be partner, Agent Calvin Springfield. The two somewhat hit it off, parted ways, met again, and were surprised to learn about each other’s identities.

    The new partners were tasked to take over a case from two missing agents. It involved a massive railroad construction by sketchy billionaires headed by an even sketchier vampire. Later, there were encounters with hellhounds, zombies, witches and gates of hell.

    As a means to lay the groundwork for future books, this opener built a fascinating world of magical secret agents, supernatural allies, badass non-magical humans, and enigmatic villains. As for the steampunk, it was sadly missing.

    A highlight was the Pullman, a historical equivalent of the trailers rockstars use on tour. This one, though, was incredulous. The way it was described, it has three bedrooms with full-sized beds for people over six feet. There’s a kitchen, a shower, and an honest-to-goodness fully stocked library, armament room, AND research laboratory.

    The exact size wasn’t mention, but the damned thing sounds like it’s bigger than my house. And it’s pulled by horses. HOW?!

    I’m on the fence with the storytelling. On one hand, it was consistently engaging, and I had fun. On the other, the investigation involved many interviews with contacts and witnesses. This is realistic, but then most of the key events were told rather than shown.

    Owen and Calvin danced around each other, trying to suss out each other’s gay vibes, but held back from openly pursuing their mutual interest. They practically just met, and with some homophobic folks publicly stirring trouble, they can never be too careful.

    Majority of the time, they spent it apart, individually pursuing certain leads. So it was a stretch when the two suddenly declared they were in love. I would have preferred that they took at least the second book to actually get to know each other before throwing around ILYs.

    Owen is a medium. It amuses me that he’s fan of Dracula the book. He has a Southern drawl and the charm, too. Calvin is a psychometric. He’s a bit more serious, but he loves comics. He used to run with a gang before being a Pinkerton.

    I like Owen, Calvin, AND Winston, the witch butler and the most important character, because the boys are lost without him. I would also love more appearances by the rest of the cast. There’s a wonderful found family forming here, and I’m all for it.

    Overall, Peacemaker has a great premise, the writing worked well for me, the characters are intriguing, and I loved this paranormal world the author created. I’m still wondering where this series fit in her multi-series universe.

    It might be a mix bag, but if there’s one thing I love about Morgan Brice, it’s that her series gets better and better with each new installment. Witchbane is an excellent example. I can’t wait when Sharps and Springfield finally hit its stride. 

    Rating:
    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

    Soundtrack: Peacemaker
    Artist: Animal Collective
    Album: The Painters


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    PEACEMAKERKindle | Audiobook

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    REVIEW: His Brutal Heart by Leighton Greene

    West Coast Mobsters: His Brutal Heart – Leighton Greene

    The ultimate forbidden love: a Mafia Boss and his captive.

    I’m a man without mercy. A Mafia heir.
    Brutality was all that ever made sense to me…
    Until I saw him.

    Unfortunately, he happens to be the sole witness to my latest crime.
    That should mean one thing.
    Elimination.

    But one look into those pleading blue eyes, and I lost myself.

    I let a beauty live…
    But – beast that I am – I’ve locked him away.

    Little by little, he charms his way out of his cell and into my bed, until I begin to wonder which of us is the real prisoner.

    After all, I’m the one trapped by my own brutal heart.

    And that oh-so-innocent beauty I took and kept?

    He has secrets of his own.

    Secrets that could destroy me.

    ***

    His Brutal Heart is the second book in the West Coast Mobsters series. Follow the men of the Los Angeles underworld in this page-turning romantic suspense series as they find love, danger and mystery in the most unexpected places.

    Each book in this series tells the love story of a different couple who find their happy ending, as well as a resolution to the mystery they’re investigating, but there are cliffhangers to the wider suspense plot for the series.

    Content advisory notes are available to view on the Copyright page via Look Inside or by downloading the sample.


    There’s a Teddy inside all of us.

    Why else would there be an entire sub-genre of romance dedicated to the mafia, bratva, heck, even the damn cartel? Strictly fictional, of course.

    Leighton Greene continues to blew me away with the second book of her spectacular romantic suspense series, West Coast Mobsters. I was tickled pink to learn His Brutal Heart is about Alessandro Castellani and Teddy MacCallum. I knew it would be good, but holyyy hell, I didn’t know it would FUCKING SLAY!!!!

    At its core, the story is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, where the scarred Alessandro considers himself too ugly to be lovable and the adorkably-oblivious-that-he-is-gorgeous Teddy MacCallum was initially held prisoner in Redwood Manor against his will.

    The two were forced to work together when Teddy proved he could be useful in solving the murder of the old Don Castellani. By this time, our boy Teddy practically begged to stay in the manor.

    Teddy owns Cute Crims, a website dedicated to stanning and/or fapping over made men. As Site God, Teddy runs a tight ship, the rules for posting a pic being a.) should be cute, b.) should be crim, and c.) should be Family. He oversees multi-forums worth of information, mostly wild speculations, some surprisingly accurate.

    And if there’s one mafioso Teddy is obsessed with, that is the notorious but elusive Alessandro Castellani. Theirs was a fucked up version of a celebrity meet cute where the Sandro fan boy meets his crush over double crossing gangs and gunfire. Because how else?

    In Book 1, His Lethal Desire, Jack was the main driving force. Here, both Alessandro and Teddy fascinated me. The dynamics is pure delight! There’s a delicate play of power that swings deliciously back and forth between Alessandro and Teddy.

    Alessandro, now the new Don Castellani, finds himself with no trusted allies within their ranks. The murder of the old don demands that it should be solved first and the killer punished before vows to the new don could be made. If they will be made at all.

    Alessandro ruthlessly dominates but questions his value as the new Don and a person worthy of affection. He’s angry, bitter, and lonely. Teddy is inexperienced but completely obsessed and single-minded in his pursuit and adoration of the scarred Alessandro. An angelic marshmallow, Teddy has a surprising amount of steel and resourcefulness. In no time, he has Sandro wrapped around his little finger.

    That our boy Teddy was gutsy enough to pit his wits against a cunning devil like Julian, spoke volumes of Teddy’s intellect and devotion to Alessandro. With his sweet, giving nature, it’s easy to forget he has serious tech skills and smarts.

    Sandro would be the big bad Don Castellani, making hard decisions, being a mean motherfucker, and pushing Teddy away. Teddy only has to say “Alessandro” in a certain way, and BAM, Alessandro melting be like, “I can’t refuse you when you say my name like that.” SWOON!!

    It’s the way he says my name, worshipful, shy, his voice trembling, that destroys the last of my self-control.

    The way Alessandro’s character grew, the way he let Teddy inside his walls, and the way his cold, dead heart started beating again, it’s why hurt comfort holds my heart in a vise and then be DEVASTATINGLY GOOD!

    And it’s not just the romance that was brilliant, the mystery and the rest of the plot were equally riveting.

    I guessed the murderer early on, but such is the author’s storytelling abilities that I enjoyed watching the characters put it all together. The murder mystery is the thread that propelled the plot, leading Alessandro and Teddy to interact with various characters, hash out old grudges, and eventually clear the air.

    Alessandro’s complicated relationship with former-best-friend-now-frenemy Jack kept me hooked. Their friendship was broken by betrayal, bloody and violent. But Alessandro needs Jack because there’s almost no one else to trust, and our boy Jack, honorable man that he is, dutifully watched his boss’s back despite mixed feelings.

    Another complicated relationship is with Julian, Alessandro’s half-brother. Wily, with genius-level scheming skills, and downright crazy, the man spent most of the story behind bars in the manor dungeons but still managed to make quite a presence!

    The resolutions for both of these and the murder conclude the story in a satisfying way while leaving an opening for Julian’s book.

    Leighton Greene excels at creating memorable and compelling characters. Alessandro and Teddy are just two of the many she conceived that were memorable. It’s a huge deal because this series and the Morelli Family, are interconnected, and every time one character makes a cameo, I could still recall scenes from their book. Not many interconnected series can do that.

    His Brutal Heart is a story of finding self-worth and fighting for family and blood. As Alessandro quickly learns, it’s lonely at the top. It’s even lonelier to have your heart’s desire within reach but you’re too afraid to grab it. Overall, intensely passionate, incredibly squee-tastic, brutally romantic!

    Rating:
    5 Stars – absolutely perfect

    Soundtrack: Scar
    Artist: Joe Henry
    Album: Scar

    P.S.

    West Coast Mobsters should be read in order. The endings are left as openings for the succeeding book. And these mafiosos are worth the shot.

    Witness a hitman dodge bullets, only to be hit by a bullseye straight to the heart in His Lethal Desire.


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    REVIEW: His Lethal Desire by Leighton Greene

    West Coast Mobsters: His Lethal Desire – Leighton Greene

    There’s nothing more lethal than a hitman in love.

    Johnny “Jack” Jacopo was once the Castellani Family’s top hitman, but one terrible mistake saw him kicked back down the ladder. So when the Boss orders him to look into the disappearance of a Hollywood starlet, Jack sees an opportunity to rise back up the Family ranks.

    His first move is to question the missing actress’s twin brother. Miller Beaumont is charming, gorgeous, flirty…and he’s the same guy who was hitting on Jack in a bar the night before.

    Jack tries to keep things strictly business, but Miller has access to inside information that Jack needs to solve the case. And it’s just too tempting when Miller proposes that they team up to find his sister.

    As their search leads them into danger, Jack finds he has more to lose than he ever expected. Someone is coming after Miller, and Jack finds himself torn between duty to his Family and his own foolish heart.

    Because despite himself, Jack is making one more mistake, the biggest of them all, the one dumb thing he swore he’d never do.

    He’s falling in love.

    ***

    His Lethal Desire is the first book in the West Coast Mobsters series. Follow the men of the Los Angeles underworld in this page-turning romantic suspense series as they find love, danger and mystery in the most unexpected places.

    Each book in West Coast Mobsters tells the love story of a different couple who find their happy ending, as well as a resolution to the mystery they’re investigating, but there are cliffhangers to the wider suspense plot for the series.


    I picked this up only because I was intrigued by the 5th Book’s premise about a virgin butler framed for murder. And since I always have the compulsion to read a series in order, I have to start here.

    His Lethal Desire, Book 1 of West Coast Mobsters, quickly made me realize it’s more than just a necessary hurdle. It has everything I love about mafia romance!

    The thrill of flirting with danger, the possessive smoldering passion, the intriguing mix of dark and good wrapped in a gorgeous bad boy persona. And if we’re lucky, there’d be a lot of bi-lingual sweet nothings and cusses, too.

    The story also has a bonus twist that caught my attention immediately. Johnny ‘Jack’ Jacopo, formerly top hitman for the Castellanis, was demoted to foot soldier and bar security. It’s rare for me to encounter a demoted mafioso, usually they don’t even get second chances when they fuck up.

    The WCM series is a spin-off of the Morelli Family, and in the last book, a Vegas mob boss put a hit on Jack. Don Ciro Castellani offered protection, so Jack is stuck in LA.

    Jack is in the unique position of being very good at what he used to do to just be thrown away. Also, he saved the Don’s son, Sandro’s life in a way that forced him to do something Sandro considers betrayal. The two used to be close friends, but Sandro has reserved the rights to kill Jack. He’s only alive because of the Don.

    Now, the Don is giving him a chance for a re-promotion. He’s tasked to find a missing actress, Anais Beaumont, and he’s given a lead, the actress’s twin, Miller. The same person Jack’s been eyeing across the bar for weeks. The person who shamelessly flirted and kissed him the night before.

    I’m not too familiar with the technicalities of a story, so I my reviews are just me squee-ing at stuff. But sometimes, I hear people say it’s a character-driven story. Not sure if this book is like that, but I could definitely say Jack is the main driving force for me here.

    He’s your typical mafioso, a bit jaded and too used to violence. But he’s internal dialogues are compelling, showing his vulnerable side, his fears, and sometimes, when he dare hope, his plans to get away from LA.

    And my favorite part about Jack is his loyalty. Even Ciro Castellani recognizes that Jack’s brand of loyalty is not something that could ever be bought by money. That’s why he wants him to guard Sandro, but sure as hell, the two will end up killing each other.

    The best part is when that loyalty shifted to Miller.

    We Jacopos only ever got one shot at love, my father had once told me. You won’t give a damn about anyone until suddenly you do, and that’ll be it. Forever. Even if they leave, even if they die. You’ll still love them, and you can try with someone else, even make it work for a while, but it won’t be the same.

    One shot at love, Johnny. It’s just the way things are for us Jacopos.

    Miller and his sister were child actors. But unlike his twin, who still a star, Miller is mostly forgotten, and he spends his time partying hard to fill the emptiness. He doesn’t do substance abuse, thankfully. Secretly, he’s a talented painter, but years of being belittled did a number on his confidence.

    I didn’t warm up to Miller immediately, but the more I knew about him, the more I learn that he has a big heart. He puts the people he loves first, and it is unfortunate that those people are narcissists. Miller doesn’t deserved how his family treated him.

    From their meet-cute at the bar to the very last page, Jack and Miller’s chemistry is DELICIOUS! Their romance developed organically, not too insta and not too slow-burn. And it’s just FANTASTIC all the way through! Jack’s world is Miller, and our boy Miller, with his selfless heart, deserves all the love in the world.

    Aside from the romance, the rest of the book was a solid read. The mystery was fascinating. There were a lot of clues and personalities involved, and I didn’t put it together until the part Miller saw the USB.

    The action and suspense were engaging, and I loved how the resolution left room for more Jack and Miller in the succeeding book. The only thing I didn’t like was how the thing with Annie was left open.

    There were plenty of secondary characters whom I’m super excited to read about, like Sandro and Teddy, Sandro’s half-brother and resident psycho Julian, as well as Miller’s friend Nate and Jack’s friend Freddy.

    And I really appreciated Leighton Greene‘s writing style. Aside from her well-executed storytelling, she writes in short paragraphs. I hope other writers would keep this in mind because most people read ebooks nowadays. Short paragraphs are easy on weak eyes if you’re reading from a screen.

    His Lethal Desire is a story of dysfunctional families, shifting loyalties and plans gone awry, where a demoted hitman falls in love with a washed up Hollywood star, and the powers that be lay claim to their bodies, their souls, and their lives.

    Overall, squee-tastic like butterflies in the stomach, lethal like arrow straight to the heart.

    Rating:
    4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away

    Soundtrack: Arrow
    Artist: Teagan and Sara
    Album: Sainthood

    P.S.

    I wanted this so badly in audiobook. This deserves a Michael Ferraiuolo performance!


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